Thursday 31 March 2011

The F word


Today is all about fashion!

But before I got started I would like to ask you if you know any good site with free blogger templates because I'm not finding this template very functional and I don't seem to find one that fits my needs... 

Now: fashion! For me fashion is an art where many professionals from different areas have to combine their creativity, know-how and good taste between each other (make-up, hair, clothes, shoes, photography, etc.).

Today I'll talk about the fashion photography, because a good photographer could give a twist to the most simple outfits, like the image above (that's really a twist!). However, no matter how good is the photographer or the machine he uses if there's no empathy, no spark between him and the model.

Fashion Photography
via flickr
Furthermore, the model doesn't need to be pretty, or thin or have any other characteristic that fits our concept of beauty. The most important is the personality.

Look to the nex image. She's beautiful, has a great body, but no soul. The photo is boring and cliché, it isn't even sexy and doesn't show us or gives nothing more than a pretty girl.

Jessie S.
via flickr

But this one... is stunning! Simple and strong.

Hypno
via flickr
Some more good examples:

lookbook
via flickr

Photobucket
via we heart it

via flickr

And sorry, but I couldn't find any real good male model (the one I could say: that's it!). Maybe I just didn't look hard enough, so if you know of any good photos drop a comment.


I'll share a secret with you. I'm not lesbian and never felt attracted to a girl (well, maybe a little haha), but I just find women's body so much sexier! 




Want to share something? What's your opinion?


Tuesday 29 March 2011

laziness

I'm so lazy today! I had an exam of politics this morning and I studied so much that I don't want to hear anything about work in the next hours. But I have some really cool stuff to show you.

Look at this amazing advertising from XBOX promoting the Need For Speed - Carbon game (my favourite one is actually the NFS- Most Wanted <Black Edition>). It's clever and knows how to use the surroundings for it's own benefit:


Next immerse your senses in this beautiful and funny animation called Hooked and made by the Character Matters Animation Studios:






Hooked from Character Matters on Vimeo.


And now that you're relaxed and feeling good, listen to this insightful 14 minute talk (really, watch it: you won't regret it. You'll learn so much and your vision of how things are will change for sure):






How are you today?






Saturday 26 March 2011

utopia

via happymonsters
Today is a good day, although this last ones weren't very pleasant, with my grandpa in the hospital. And it's a good day because he's at home now and it's also my birthday. I'm 27 now, but not feeling old yet.

I thought in doing some sort of wishlist, but my mind have been occupied with other things, as you can imagine. And what I really want today is to be close to my loved ones.

Anyway, I still can share some of my always-wanted-kind-of-dreamed-stuff. I'm not shallow, you should know that, but who doesn't like some luxury? Good design is expensive...

First one is my sweet perfection Lamborghini Murcièlago. I would be happy just to drive it once. 

via digital car wallpapers

You'll be amazed by this one, but I would like to have the complete colour collection of Staedtler pencils. I always collected pencil colours.

via Flickr
I also want a world like this. It could be an utopia now, but the reality later. I know someday I'll talk more deeply about this.






What's your wishlist?





Wednesday 23 March 2011

designing "logo" dreams

Photobucket

Txaram! These are the logo examples I came up with. The concept for each one of them is based in the notion that dreams should be colourful and inspiring and I combined it with the technical aspect of design: CMYK and/or RGB.

I'm not sure yet which one to choose and I would like to ear your opinion. Don't be shy!


some news

Valentina
by Adrian Prada (Colombia), via flickr
Hi everyone!

Today I'm here to share the love. I don't know if you noticed but I added two more pages to my blog: i ♥ you and I'm delicious!


The first one is to show the blogs I appreciate (idea came from Wolf and Willow), so if your blog has a button feel free to share. The second one is a badge from delicious (if you also have an account add me) to share the links I add to my favourites. I hope you like them.

Soon I'll make my own button, but first I'll change my logo: I know I can do a better work. What do you think?


Tuesday 22 March 2011

Only when crickets are pink

Camouflaged Katydid, via EcoLibrary

This week starts with an extra-post already (this will happen a lot of times) to show you how nature, once again, is incredibly intelligent and funny.

Do you see that cricket over there? Yes, the pink one (the other one is shy). That is not a manipulation, well it is if you see mutations as a natural one. Amazing, right?

pink Katydid, via Bem Legaus. Original @ natgeotv
This is one chance in five hundred! They are usually grey or green, so I think this one is a fashion victim or something. This pink Katydid «cute name» was found at the National Preserve in Beverley Shores, Indiana.


If you want to see more visit the Photo of the Day by National Geographic TV. They are funny, clever, inspiring and colourful.


via natgeotv


«» Katydids (American English) are also known as bush-crickets (British English), from the Tettigoniidae family, like crickets.



Friday 18 March 2011

tips&tricks

The post of the week was written in a Monday, so I have plenty of time to do a new research and post one or two more times this week. Let's do it!

Anyone who wants to be a good designer has to have not only a good visual culture, but also the techniques to apply it and it's not always with failure that we learn. The step-by-step tutorials are an incredible tool for beginners and advanced users: in a couple of minutes you can learn what, instead, you would spent years trying to reach. It's good also to learn some tips&tricks along the way that will turn your work easier to do and with a professional look.

So, I'll share some tuts from time to time: Illustrator and Photoshop mostly, because it's the ones I use all the time. If you want for other programs as well, feel free to ask.

For today:

 How to Make a Seamless Ornamental Pattern in Photoshop, via You the Designer

Hope you've enjoyed! 








Tuesday 15 March 2011

8 ways

gray_days

I could start saying that colour is a very important tool for designers, and artists in general, and that everyone needs colour in their lives and that the world wouldn't be so beautiful and pleasurable and bla bla bla bla bla.

Well I did, however what I really want to say is that colour could save our ass (sorry for the language) when used properly. Even in the Theory of Colour (don't run, I'll not be that boring; although this is a fascinating theme...) we have much to learn with nature.

Greater Blue-ringed Octopus (Hapalochlaena lunulata), via Bukisa

Look to octopus, they're not very pretty (but I don't mind eat them: sorry vegans!), yet they're intelligent and can become beautifully astonishing, like in the picture. I'm sure you know that they've the ability of mimetic, but did you know that they really percieve colour? It's not only a function that their skin seems to have: it's observation, learning (really fast learning!) and adaptation. Cool, right?

via We Heart It, original by Gii Ferreira
In design these three characteristics are very important too. Our first (free) resource is observation: look what's around you with different perspectives (remember when the students of The Dead Poets Society climbed their chairs?), put yourself upside down, be a child again and go under the table or inside your closet. What do you see, what do you feel? Make notes! Go to the cinema and the theater, to a music festival, try varied places in each one and search for the seven differences. But most important of all: put yourself in another's shoes.

Photobucket
via Flickr, by Kanelongden
Learning: when you are observing (seeing + thinking) you are also learning, yet you have to think even more and correlate ideas, concepts, perspectives (and so on), look into books, talk with other people (from your field or not), take a course, travel (there you have observation again), put experiences in your bag , or anything that suits you. First of all, parents should understand how their child learns best so (s)he can take the most of what's (s)he's learning and that they can help at that and cover the school faults. With so many children, school can't give special attention to everyone, right? But parent's can. Or you.

So there are several ways of learning (reading, listening, touching, ...) and you can use one or more to take advantage of what you have in hands. I'll not specify them all because it is an extensive matter with many authors defending various ideas. To learn more about this, check the links I put in the end of the post.

via ffffound
Adaptation: without this you don't go anywhere. Why learn if you won't apply to your needs? Is through adaptation that we become better and that nature (and ourselves) evolves. And the faster you adapt, the faster you get a better job, a better lover or, foremost, a better you. Upgrades are always nice, don't you think?

Back to colour and following the steps I gave you: nature, once again, should be the first place not only to get inspiration but to learn how to use colour (which colour goes well with another, the best contrasts, the warm and the cold ones, etc), then look to your favourite designer/painter/illustrator works. What do they have in common?

Only after that you are allowed to dive into the Theory of Colour, it's physics and philosophies, so you can agree or refute the ideas that are presented to you. Critical thinking is very important. And learn all you can: wisdom is power.

Then get your hands dirty and manipulate the colours yourself and when you feel good about it create your first masterpiece. Good luck!



__

Useful links

: The Five Ways of Learning, by Melanie Spiller :
: Ways of Learning, by Phillip Henning :
: Cultural Ways of Learning, by Kris Gutiérrez and Barbara Rogoff :
: Seven Ways of Learning, by Millicent Rogers Museum :

: Color Theory, by Workx.com :
: Color, by Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy :

Thursday 10 March 2011

Show Time!

Lately I've been occupied sending CV's so I can get a job in this great field that is design, so I didn't have much time to do research for this week post. It'll be very light, but enjoyable (I hope).

I'm a big fan of series, they are my favourite TV shows (although most of times I watch them on my laptop). They make me think and laugh, give me hope, courage and inspiration (in fashion and work, mostly; but also, and this may sound strange, in my relationships).

Right now I'm watching a big range of series and I love every single one of them. I'll start with Californication: it has a sexy dark mood full of drama. The characters are very peculiar and interesting. The Moody family is my favourite, of course: she's gorgeous, he's hot and their daughter is so cute!





Next sexy TV serie? Secret Diary of a Call Girl. This one is based in a real-story and the best of all is that Billie Piper (from Dr. Who, remember?) is the protagonist. I love how Hannah and Belle (they're the same person) dresses, including hairstyles.






Here are some of my favourite outfits of her:




Next ones are Modern Family, Being Erica and Drop Dead Diva. Oh and Hell's Kitchen!

What are your favourite shows?



Tuesday 1 March 2011

Creative people sign here

Photobucket
via We Heart It
I broke my promise to post once a week but it is for a good cause. A friend of mine started a very ambitious, but interesting and challenging, project (which I also joined) and we need all the creative people we can get to help us.

In Oliver's words (the person behind all this) "the idea is to find a way for artists relying on other artists for their ideas, stories, drawings and so forth". That means creating not just a community to share art (there are a lot on the web already) but an imaginary world where anyone can contribute and develop their skills. This will not only be people interacting with people, but characters interacting with characters. Something like a simulation game, but made with art.

If this interests you, please visit Oliver's journal for all the details, join the #WorldCreation group on deviantArt for even more information and/or contact me (or Oliver) via comment, skype or e-mail to take away all your doubts. If you think this have some potential please share it along with your friends. All help is welcome and appreciated.

Photobucket
via We Heart It

"What would it be like if we could create a whole world. If instead of two or three artists, we had twenty, or three hundred artists working together. And instead of us all working with the same medium; what would it be like if we combined the awesomeness that one can find in literature, the coolness of painting, the profound wonders of digital art and all sorts of styles?" Oliver Korssjøen

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